Sewing: Patriotic Prairie Dresses for the Fourth of July

When I saw this Moda Prairie Paisley fabric last year I loved it! I think it's all at once prairie, bohemian, victorian, and a bit exotic. I thought it would be great for Fourth of July dresses if I could find the right pattern. A year later I decided the Portabello Pixie Gracie pattern would be perfect! It's a bit old fashioned with all the ruffled tiers but a little sophisticated too so as not to look too pioneerish (a significant risk in Utah). I then had to hunt to find the Moda fabric but luckily did, and so Butterfly, Stripe and three different colors of Indienne arrived about two weeks before the 4th. I had to make Portabello Pixie's Ruffle Pants again after making them for the birthday outfits. I love the look and the utility. Especially with Scarlett crawling all over the place. I used the Butterfly and (ticking) Stripe fabrics. I used a solid red cotton for the neck on the Gracie dress, and made covered buttons with it too. My favorite view of this dress is the back! Scarlett's dress is made from a combination of the Portabello Pixie Claire and Gracie patterns. I made the round apron dress (without the apron) earlier this summer for Scarlett to coordinate with Audrey's birthday dress and thought it was so cute. This time I used the tiered Gracie skirt, left off the apron but used the Claire tie. I love the petal ends on the tie--my favorite view of Scarlett's dress is also from the back. I cranked out the dresses just in time. Well, my husband begs to differ. I actually finished about an hour after our BBQ started, but it was worth it. I think the girls look darling in the dresses--these may be my favorite yet--and they can wear them again on the 24th of July, which is Pioneer Day/The Days of '47 in Utah--celebrated like another Fourth of July.

Sewing: Returning Borrowed Sewing Patterns

I need to put together a package of old sewing patterns to return to my aunt. She asked about them as she is gearing up to sew for a bunch of new grandbabies. My mother got them from her and brought the old patterns to me when I was getting excited about sewing for my little girl, Audrey. I love the idea of making something for Audrey or Scarlett from the same pattern my mother used for me. There are some real classics--a-line shifts, wrap around apron tops, dresses with peter pan collars, ruffle necked blouses... So I'm sending my aunt the ones with her name on it. Even though my mother wrote "you keep" to my aunt on many of the patterns I recognize I've decided to keep them myself. I just love seeing my mother's writing on them! I'm sharing them with my sister--how fun that a generation later two sisters are again sharing patterns as they sew for their daughters.

Sewing: Floral Dresses for Father's Day

I had a different list of projects for this summer but keep getting distracted by other opportunistic things. These dresses started with a hunt for fabric to make Scarlett a dress to wear under the white matinee jacket I knit her. I found this retro looking print from ... and wanted to make another simple sleeveless dress like the blue and yellow paisley one I made for her. Then I thought it would be fun to do a coordinating dress for Audrey and found this fabric in my stash--purchased before Audrey was born with a skirt or dress for me or even tablecloth in mind. Now I think it is darling for a little girl. There is nothing printed on the selvedge, so I don't know who designed it but I love the big flowers and combination of color screens and line drawing. I love dressing my girls similarly (but certainly don't do it all the time) and thought this fabric looked like a more sophisticated version of the fabric I used for Scarlett.Audrey's dress pattern is Simplicity 2711. I love the tucks and ruffles on the bodice and the ruffled sleeves. This would be adorable in a plain colored fabric too but I think it works with the big pattern nicely. Scarlett's dress pattern is New Look 6237. I combined some views and made the sleeveless bodice with a gathered skirt. I added some piping at the neck and waist too.

I can't get enough of these simple dresses on her! So perfect for her baby-ness! I wish I had purchased enough fabric to make a matching diaper cover, but I didn't, and didn't want to make a special trip to get a 1/2 yard.

So when all was finished it was Father's Day, and I thought these were the perfect dresses for my little girls to wear and celebrate with their Dad. He looked pretty sharp himself.

Knitting: Debbie Bliss Seed Stitch Cardigan for Scarlett

This gorgeous pattern is from Debbie Bliss's Baby Cashmerino pattern booklet. I am such a fan of Debbie Bliss!

I believe this is my most ambitious knitting project to date. I am still so wary of those tiny needles because I worry it will take me forever, but I must be getting faster because this really wasn't too bad. That said, I was thinking I'd use this same Sublime yarn (Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK) to make a matching sweater for Audrey, but haven't gotten around to it in favor of quicker projects, such as sewing!

I love the details on the hem! And this yarn is so airy and soft.

I wasn't planning on using yellow ribbon to weave through but I thought this sweater looked great with Scarlett's "Liberty-Like" dress and yellow seemed the best color to coordinate with that.

After all the work I had a near disaster with this sweater because I made the incredible mistake of rolling it up to blot it dry in a STRIPED towel when I was blocking it! I know! My husband looked at me as if to say, "really? You did that?" I unrolled it hours later and it had a couple fuschia stripes stained on the bodice. I nearly died. Thought I had lost my best heirloom for my daughter (hoping she cares to have some of course)! However after much laundry experimentation with color remover, woolite, and various bleaching products (I'm certain not advised for these fibers!) I rescued it with just a slight slight slight hint of pink near the underarm. Unbelievable!

Thankfully it all worked out and here is little Scarlett in her seed stitch cardigan. So sweet.

Sewing: A Liberty-Like Dress for Scarlett

I thought we were going to have family pictures taken this week and my wardrobe plans were for Audrey and Scarlett to wear blue and cream knit/crochet dresses. I finished Audrey's but Scarlett's is knit and after casting on the 155 stitches to begin I realized it wasn't realistic to finish in a week. So I went hunting for a fabric to make a little dress for Scarlett, with blue and white in it, to match the white Matinee Jacket I knit for her, thinking that ensemble would go with Audrey's blue dress.

I didn't have very high expectations as I imagined the dress as an accessory really, but when I saw this fabric at Joann I fell in love! This is Robert Kaufmann Screen Print D# 6435 and I think it is the perfect diminutive print for a baby dress. It has a very silky feel and is a nice scale for a baby girl. I think it looks a bit like Liberty of London.

I made it up in this simple New Look 6237, combining the sleeveless bodice and gathered skirt from different views. I bought enough fabric to make a diaper cover too (I have been using New Look pattern 6842).

I can't believe how sweet it looks on Scarlett. It is the perfect little dress for her!